Conductor support



s. s. MATTHES CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Filed Feb. 29, 1924 r S m/Z1 M am,

Patented Dec- 30, 1924.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL S. MATTHES, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASSCOMPANY,

OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

Application filed. February 29, 1924. Serial No. 695,914..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. MATTHES,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Conductor Supports, ofwhich the followlng is a specification.

My invention relates to a conductor sup port and particularly that classof supports for suspending the trolley wire.

The object of my invention is to provide a trolley support of the typeknown generally as a trolley car provided with a groove to receive atrolley wire and also provided with lips to be bent or peened around thetrolley wire.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the lips that theywill give increased wear to the devicethroughout a.

large portion of the length thereof and to protect the wire from1nechanical 1n ury throughout. said length and to provide for thetrolley wheel orcurrent collector a smooth and uninterruptedpassagefrom, the trolley wire on to the ear and from the ear on to the trolleywire.

In the present type of ears it is the general practice and has been foryears, to provide the ear with a groove of uniform length in which thelips are of un form depth throughout their lengthand then to taper thelips at the lower edge substantially to a knife edge. This constructionIfind is not the best as the thinness of the lips at the low'er edgewhere the trolley wheel contacts is the point in the ear where there isthe greatest'wea-r on account of the contact with the wheel. Also,extending the lips for full depth to the end of the car, even thoughthey may be drawn to a knife edge, offers an obstruction to the smoothpassage ofthe wheel from the wire to the ear and from the ear to'the.wire. This obstruction-causes the trolley wheel to jump as it engagesthe ear and'to again contact with the car at a point somewhere betweenthe ends of the ear and if the ear has been reduced to a substantialknife edge where the re-engagement takes place under con siderable of ablow the lips of the car are not only rapidly worn away, but the wirebeneath is also injured due to the blow. Likewise, at theleaving end ofthe ear the wheel is caused to strike thewire with considerable of ablow which multiplied by the number of times a wheel passes over the earvery soon has a detrimental effect upon the trolley wire adjacent theear.

I have found that by substantially thickening the lips of the ear attheir lower edge and intermediate the ends of the ear that they willwear many times longer due to normal contact with the trolley wheels,

and such trolley blows as they may receive will be absorbed in the lipsand not transmitted to the wire beneath with ultimate injury to thetrolley wire beneath.

.Likewise, by properly constructing the end portions of the lips, it ispossible to practically reduce the interruption to the smooth passage ofthe trolley wheel in either direction to a minimum thereby avoidinginjury to the trolley wire adjacent to the ear, and also to prevent thetrolley wheel jumping as it engages the car.

In the drawing accompanying this specification:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 4. is a sectional view on the line 4- of Fig. 2 and substantiallyto size of a practical working device.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 2 at a-point where Istart to change the construction of the lips.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views on the line 6-6 and 7-7, respectively,of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the construction in Fig. 4 as applied to atrolley wire. I

, Figs. 5 6*- and 7 correspond with Figs. 5, 6 and 7, respectively, andshow the relation of the lips when applied to the trolley wire.

.Fig. 8 shows the under side of a large portion of the ear shown in Fig.2, but with the lips formed in place about the trolley wire. I

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I construct "a boss 1 whichis internally threaded as at 2, in order to attach the ear to anoverhead support. The upper end of the boss is provided with at flange3. The ear is also provided with longitudinal disposed lips 4 forming a.groove 5 throughout the length of the ear. The boss is secured to thelip portions as shown and increaseiu theeXposu-re of the trolley wire 5from the point 3 to the end of the ear.

I also employ diametrically oppositely diswheel which may take place.

Rt'the point 7, which intermediate the center line of the ear and theend, but not necessarily centrally located therein, I begin to reducethe height of the lips, "therefore,- reducing the depth of the groovefrom the point y to the'extremeend. This reduction issho'wn by the spacea between the diverg in gf dotted lines in 2. The lower edge of the lipsfrom the point y to the end of theea-r isgradually brought down to aknife edge, as indicatedat g and shown in Figs; 2, 7, 6 and 7 themaximum being reached atthe end of the ear and as shown in Figs. 7 and 7v a This gradual reduction g, together with the gradual reduction in thedepth of the lips provides for a smooth and iininterrupted passageoftlie trolley? wheel on t'oand' off of. the ear and italso offers agradual as shown in Figs: 7 and 8.

It might be well to point out here that in the present'design' of carsof this character it is usual to make the cross section of the ear withtapered or knife edge sections, as indicated in Fig. 7, throughout theirlength, while it will be noted that in my improved type the full knifeedge section is notv qreached until the end of the ear is appreached, asshown in Fig. 7 and no attempt is made to reduce the thicknessofthe lipsuntil the point 3 isv reached from the center of-th-e ear.

, ,It will be noted that I have provided. an

ear which has a. very substantial thickness of metalthroughout the metalin the lips, throughout the length of the earbetween the points whichincreases the life of the ear and eliminates injury to the trolley wire5 encircled by the lips between the points ay 11, and that I have alsoprovided. a

gradual approach forfthe trolley wheel as it passes from the trolleywire 5 on to the sections yy, and from the sections ge -y on to thetrolley wire 5, also that "the lips throughout theentir'e length of. theear on the sides thereofare of substantially uniform thickness. 'Therelation of the trolley wheelto' the ear is shown in Figs. 4 to 7inclusive, and it will be recognized by those skilled .inthe art thatthe shape of the groove of the trolley wheel, as indicated by dottedlines in these figures, may vary. I find it practical that a reasonablethickness of the lips at their meeting: point, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5is about to although it will berecogrnized that this may be varied" tomeet requirements.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A conductor, support comprising in combination, a support member anda 1on gitudinalliydisposed member secured to the support member, thelongitudinal member comprising oppositely disposed and dependin gl'ipsforming a groove-therebetween to receive the conductor and to be grippedby thelips when bent' over, fillet-Width: of-the longitudinal 'mem-berbeing substantially uniformtl iroughout its l ength, the lipssubstantially meeting for a distance each side" i of the center linewhen bent around the condueter and t l ieadjacentedge 'ofthe lips forsaid distance being ofsubstantial thickness, the lips gradiuillydecreasing in height toward each end of the longitudinal member from thepoint where the'lips cease to sub stantially meet and theo'ute'r surfaceof the lips from saidpoint and al'ongandad jacent the lower edgegradually tapering tea substantial knife edge at the extreme end therebyforming a gradual approach for a current collector from they'conduc'to-rinto the section where the, and vice versa, 1

2 A conductor support {comprising in combination, a supporting memberand a longitudinally disposed member secured thereto and providedwi-tlrdepending lips forming a groove toreceive andho'ld a con-- ductor whenthe lips" are benttl iereabout, the longitudinal member comprising threesections, a central section and two 'end sec lips substai-i t ially meettlons, the lips'of the central section ad apte'd to substantially ineetwhe -bent about the conductorand having substantial: and uniformthickness for the length of said section, the lips of the end sectionsgradually decreasing in height beginning at the ends of the centralsectionand extending to the ends of the lips and simultaneouslydecreasing' intliickness along their lower edge to a subs'tantialknifeedge at their ends for the purpose described.

3'. A conductor support co prising in combination, a supporting memberand a 3 longitudinally dis-posed member secured thereto provided withdepending lips forming a groove for the purpose described,

the longitudinal member comprising three sections, a central section andtwo end sections, the lips of the central section adapted tosubstantially meet when bent about a conductor and having substantialthickness for the, length ofsaid section, the lips ofthe end sectionsgradually decreasing in thickness from the ends-of the central sectionto the-ends-of the lips from full thickness of the central section to asubstantial knife edge at the end of the lips, for the purposedescribed.

4:. A conductor support comprising in combination, a supporting memberand a longitudinal member secured thereto and provided with dependinglips forming a groove for the purpose described, the longitudinal membercomprising a central section and an end section extendin from thecentral section to the ends of t e longitudinal member, the lips of thecentral section substantially meeting when bent about the conductor andhaving a thickness of substantially not less than inch at their adjacentedges, the lips gradually and simultaneously decreasing in height and inthickness along their lower edge from the ends of the central section tothe ends of the lips as and for the purpose described. a

5. A conductor support comprising in combination, a supporting memberand a longitudinal member secured thereto and provided with lips forminga groove for the purpose described, the longitudinal member comprising acentral section and end sections extending from the central section tothe ends of the longitudinal member, the lips of the central sectionthroughout its length substantially meeting when bent about theconductor and of substantial thickness along their adjacent edges, butgradually diverging from each other and reducing in thickness from theends of the central section to the ends of the longitudinal member asand for the purpose described.

6. A conductor support comprising in combination, a supporting memberand a longitudinal member secured thereto, the longitudinal memberhaving a uniform portion for a distance in both directions from thecenter the uniform portion having bendable lips r orming a groove, thelongitudinal member also having tapering portions extending beyond theuniform portion in both directions and forming a continuation thereofand. having bendable lips forming a groove, the lips of the sectiongradually tapering along their lower outer edge, both as to height andthickness, as and for the purpose described.

7 A conductor support comprising in combination a supporting member anda longitudinal member, the longitudinal member 4 having a uniformportion for a distance in both directions from the center, and havingbendable lips forming a groove, the longitudinal member having taperingportions eX- tending beyond the uniform portion in both directions andforming a continuation thereof and having bendable lips forming agroove, the length of each extension being not less than one half thelength of the uniform portion, the lips of the extension graduallytapering along their lower outer edge, both as to height and. thickness,as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

